Posthuman Property and Law: Commodification and Control through Information, Smart Spaces and Artificial Intelligence

This book explores the phenomenon of digitally mediated property and challenges the boundary between human and nonhuman actors. It argues that property as a concept and a means of control changes fundamentally under advanced capitalism, with data being extracted from human activities and used to affectively control humans. The book proposes a posthuman property concept to critique property control through digital technologies and move beyond the notion of the self-owning, object-owning human. It appeals to researchers in Law and Technology, Legal Theory, Intellectual Property Law, Legal Philosophy, Sociology of Law, Sociology, and Media Studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 166 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate phenomenon of digitally mediated property, shedding light on its complex implications and challenging the traditional boundaries between human and nonhuman actors. It explores the evolving nature of property in the digital age, highlighting how the increasing commodification of knowledge has led to a rupture in the liberal concept of the property-owning, free, and person. Through engaging with cutting-edge theories from posthumanism and new materialism, the book demonstrates how property, as a concept and a tool of control, undergoes a fundamental transformation under advanced capitalism. It illustrates this shift through the example of data, which is extracted from human activities but also used directly to influence and control individuals. By examining a wide range of human interactions with digital platforms and coded architectures, as well as the circulation of affects through practices of artificial intelligence employed to shape behavior, the book argues that property must be understood in the context of an ecology of human and nonhuman actors.

The concept of posthuman property emerges as a powerful tool for critiquing property control in the digital age. It challenges the notion of the self-owning, object-owning, human and opens up new possibilities for reimagining property relations. The book appeals to researchers and scholars across various disciplines, including Law and Technology, Legal Theory, Intellectual Property Law, Legal Philosophy, Sociology of Law, Sociology, and Media Studies. Its insightful analysis and thought-provoking arguments make it a valuable resource for understanding the evolving dynamics of property in the digital era.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367688011